Unless on a website which uses flash, they use an exploit to turn on your webcam and broadcast its images. You would have to actually give permission for them to do this (e.g. on webcamming websites) and i do not know of any vulnerabilities relating to flash and webcams.

Normal webcam traffic happens over either port 80 or port 8080. Assuming you have a way of distinguishing between normal HTTP traffic and the webcam traffic, it's possible to reconstruct the image, as it's being broadcast, by sniffing the network. Or, assuming you can gain remote access to the machine, it's possible to install a shell hook specifically designed to interface with the webcam, then simultaneously send data to its intended destination, as wel as, any destination you specify. I'm sure most good anti-viruses would detect the hook as spyware though. Those are just two ways I can think of. I'm sure there could be more.

As a general rule (and I know people will be quick to point out the exceptions) things you see in movies are fake. Especially when related to computers. Actual hacking would be boring to watch for most people. So instead of that, Hollywood makes flashy visuals and impossible scenarios so the people in the audience can sit on their fat asses and eat more popcorn.

Goatboy wrote:As a general rule (and I know people will be quick to point out the exceptions) things you see in movies are fake. Especially when related to computers. Actual hacking would be boring to watch for most people. So instead of that, Hollywood makes flashy visuals and impossible scenarios so the people in the audience can sit on their fat asses and eat more popcorn.

And then come to forums such as these asking, "h0w t3h m4ke teh l33t h4x???!!111!!???eleven"